


Iron Chef Mako-chan

by awriterfandf



Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [38]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:20:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28776702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awriterfandf/pseuds/awriterfandf
Summary: Kino Makoto enters a cooking contest.This story begins on the Thursday following 'Usagi's Dilemma'.
Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095488





	1. Chapter 1

Kino Makoto enters a cooking contest.

This story begins on the Thursday following 'Usagi's Dilemma'.

. . . . .

**Iron Chef Mako-chan**

**Chapter 1:**

"Someone's really eager to hit the books tonight!" Aino Minako laughed as she walked into the study room at the Hikawa Jinja, sliding the door closed behind her. "Where's everybody else, Usagi-chan?" The pretty blonde sat down beside her friend, the two sixteen-year-old girls the room's only current occupants. "They must be nearby because their book bags are here."

"Hi, Minako-chan. Rei should be back soon, she's helping her grandpa with something in the shrine's office. Ami and Ryo are with her." Usagi opened her book bag and extracted several sheets of paper, carefully arranging them in a neat stack on the table in front of her before adding, "I have no idea where Mako-chan is."

"No? Well, it can't be another detention" Minako mused. "She left school early today." The girl with the ever-present bright red bow in her hair peered down at Usagi's papers. "Why did you bring today's geography test with you?"

Usagi sipped from a large plastic tumbler of green soda and grinned, "Because I actually passed this one, and I can't wait to show evil Rei my score!" She proudly pointed at the number Haruna-sensei had written at the top of the first page. "Just look at this! _Seventy-two percent, Minako-chan!_ I'm a certified genius now!" she boasted, before reaching into an oversized bag of chips and scooping out a huge celebratory handful.

"That _is_ a big improvement, but somehow I don't think Ami is going to feel too threatened" the other blonde giggled.

"I guess not" Usagi giggled back. She munched on her snack before asking, "So you don't know where Mako-chan disappeared to either? That's really strange."

"Maybe she went home because she's feeling under the weather" the other teen suggested. "I really should call and check up on her."

Usagi shook her head. "I phoned her apartment from here ten minutes ago" she said. "There wasn't any answer, so she can't be at home."

The door slid open again and Rei entered the room followed by Ami and Ryo, the blue-haired girl and her fiancee smiling happily as they held hands.

"Mako-chan still isn't here?" the miko asked as the three teens took their usual places at the low table. "She's never this late for our study sessions."

"We don't know what happened to her" the blonde with the red bow in her hair answered. "She ran off from school at lunchtime and we haven't seen her since." She gasped, "Maybe Mako-chan really is feeling horribly ill and couldn't answer her phone! She may be in dire need of a professional house call from our very own Nurse Minako!"

Rei scoffed, "If she's not sick now, she definitely _will be_ two minutes after you show up."

"That's _so_ typical! No one ever appreciates my skills around here" the blonde with the red bow in her hair muttered.

"What skills?" the miko laughed. "All I know is, if I ever get hungry for another bowl of inedibly toxic, over-spiced noodles or want another stereo blown up, you're the first person I'd call, Minako-chan."

Minako gave the miko a sour glare. _"Hmph!_ I was just trying to help _."_

"Minna, my Ryo-kun and I know where Mako-chan went after she left school" Ami spoke, looking up from her algebra textbook. "She isn't sick, Minako-chan."

"Then where did she disappear to, Ami-chan?"

"She was scheduled to take her final driver's test this afternoon. I do hope she performed well and passed it."

"Good for her!" Rei exclaimed. "After those practice lessons we've all given her, and with Mako-chan's natural ability, I'm sure she did just fine." The raven-haired teen paused to glare at Usagi. "Unlike _someone else_ here who can't seem to pass nearly anything at all. I still don't know how you managed to trick them into giving you your driver's license, Usagi-chan."

"Hold it right there!" Usagi blurted back. "You're _so wrong_ this time, Rei-chan! For your information, not only did I pass my last test, I even aced it! Well, almost." She indignantly held up her test papers and waved them in the miko's face. "Look at this! Seventy-two percent! _So there!"_

"Nani? Let me see that." Rei took the geography test and quickly scanned through it, only to snicker as she read Usagi's scribbled wrong answer to a question on the second page. "You wrote that Iceland's biggest export is _ice_ , you baka!"

"I said I _almost_ aced it, Rei-chan!" Usagi grumbled.

Rei read further down the page, then laughed again. "And you even got the wrong answer to-"

"Give me that back!" Usagi quickly snatched the test from the miko and stuffed it into her bag, muttering to herself.

"Actually, seventy two percent is a definite improvement over your last result, Usagi-chan" Ami smiled warmly at her. "I'm very proud of you."

"Arigatou, Ami-chan" Usagi thanked her, then stuck her tongue out at Rei. "Why can't you say something encouraging like Ami does instead of always being so critical of me?"

"Would you like some ice for that soda you're drinking, Usagi-chan?" Rei teased her friend. "Better call Iceland!"

_"Ohh! Be quiet, you!"_

"Sounds like it's just another typical day here at the shrine" Makoto chuckled from the doorway. The tall brunette strode across the room and sat on the floor beside Usagi. "Sorry I'm so late."

Everyone leaned forward, staring intently at her. "Well?" Minako pressed. "Did you pass it?"

Makoto reached into her purse and removed a small card bearing her photograph and signature, proudly holding it up for all to see. "I did it" she grinned. "Minna, my very own class one driver's license!"

"Congratulations, Mako-chan!" Ryo and Ami spoke together while the other teens cheered and applauded the happy girl.

"Have you called and told Yuji the big news yet? Your honey love will be so proud of you!" Minako added with a bright smile. She boasted, "This means I'm not only an expert at first aid, I'm a super brilliant driving instructor too!"

Rei laughed, "Minako-chan, she passed _despite_ your so-called help, not because of it!"

The girl's lips formed a pout. "Nani? Is this pick on Aino Minako night or something?"

"I haven't talked to my Yuji about getting my full license yet" Makoto answered the blonde. "I'll tell him tomorrow when we go to Nerima. Because there's even more good news. Or at least I hope there will be" she added.

"What is it, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.

"Last week, Michiru convinced me to enter a contest at that small tv station here in Minato" the teen replied. "Minna, you know that series about famous chefs competing against each other to make the best meal?"

"I've heard of it" Rei spoke. "It's called 'Iron Chef' or something."

"Hai, that's it. Well, that local station is running a similar kind of thing, only for teenagers. And today they accepted me. I'm supposed to compete against another girl this Sunday night. And it's even being broadcast live on tv!"

"That's simply wonderful news, Mako-chan!" Ami congratulated her friend. "I'm quite sure you'll easily win. And perhaps this may lead to more opportunities for you in the future."

"Ohh!" Usagi exclaimed. "Our Mako-chan is going to be a famous tv cooking star!" She giggled, "Can I have your autograph?"

"I haven't won anything yet" Makoto chuckled. "And from what they told me during my interview this afternoon, the competition is really rigorous, so maybe I won't."

Minako scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, Mako-chan! You've got this contest thingie in the rag!"

"You mean 'in the bag' Minako-chan" Ami giggled.

"Rag, bag, whatever." The bubbly blonde leaned across the table. "So what's the prize?"

"They said the winner receives a small sum of money, so I won't exactly be getting rich if I come first" the brunette laughed. "I'm just doing this for the fun of it. But I really would like to win." She added, "Oh, and I'm supposed to bring two assistants with me to help prepare the food."

Ryo smiled shyly and said, "You'll certainly choose your fiancee as one of them, Mako-chan. He's always an excellent helper in your kitchen."

"How I _wish_ I could pick my Yuji!" the brunette exclaimed. "But I'm not allowed to pick him, Ryo-chan" she sighed. "The rules say that everyone on both teams has to be female."

The other four girls at the table suddenly eyed each other. _"Me! Pick me!"_ Minako abruptly blurted. "I always wanted to be on tv!" She batted her eyelids at an imaginary camera. "And I _should_ be, because I have so many outstanding star qualities!"

"Like what, exactly?" Rei grumbled.

"I'm… um… photogenic, I have a fun, outgoing personality, and... oh, and I'm really hot!" She winked at the miko, "Just ask my Taro about that last one if you don't believe me!"

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Good grief! It's a cooking show, Minako-chan, not a contest for baka sex maniacs!"

"Then who are you picking, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked the brunette. "I'd really like to help you, but I'm… uh… not at my best with stuff like cooking" she mumbled.

"That's certainly true" Rei snorted. "You'd probably burn down the tv station, like the way you nearly set Haruka and Michiru's home on fire that Friday night we were there."

_"Miserable!"_

The brunette told her friends, "Well, like I said before, I _would_ like to win, so I was going to ask Ami and Rei if they'd mind-"

"Simply unacceptable!" Minako blurted, cutting her off. "We should _all_ get our fair chance at fame and fortune! No favourites, Mako-chan!"

"Minako-chan, everybody knows what complete disasters you and Usagi are in a kitchen" Rei grumbled. "I'd like Mako-chan to have a fighting chance at winning this thing."

 _"Still not fair!"_ the blonde yelled back, folding her arms defiantly.

"You could choose names at random" Ami suggested. "That would be the most impartial way, Mako-chan."

"Hai" Makoto nodded doubtfully. "I suppose I should do that to be fair to everyone."

The other girls agreed and Ryo tore a blank page from his exercise book, writing the four teens' first names on strips of paper, then folding them neatly in half twice. Rei found an empty teacup and the boy dropped the slips inside before handing it to Makoto.

"No peeking now!" Minako admonished her friend with a waggling finger.

"Relax, Minako-chan. I'll close my eyes." The girl squeezed her eyelids shut, crossed her fingers, reached into the cup with her other hand and extracted two slips. She handed them back to Ami's fiancee.

"Good luck, Mako-chan." Ryo gave the tall brunette a shy, encouraging smile. "And the winners are…" His smile abruptly disappeared as he unfolded the first paper and read its name aloud.

"Minako."

 _"Yes! Yes! Yes!"_ the blonde leapt up and began dancing around the room. "I'm going to be on tv! _He he!"_

Makoto's spirits began to sag. "And the other one, Ryo-chan?"

Ryo opened the second paper and frowned. "Usagi."

 _"Me? Woohoo!"_ The odango-haired teen jumped to her feet and joined Minako in celebration. "Wait until my Mamo-chan hears about this!"

"Hai! And my honey muffin too! _Usagi-chan, we're going to be famous!"_ Minako whooped. "Not only am I an experienced world traveller, after Sunday night I'll be a tv celebrity too!" The two girls clasped hands and danced in a circle beside the table.

'This can't be happening' Makoto thought despairingly. 'And to think today was going so well.' She looked down the table at Rei. "I'm doomed."

The miko sadly regarded the now-dejected brunette. "I'm so sorry, Mako-chan."

A moment later, a grinning Kumada Yuuichirou poked his head into the room. "Minna, sounds like you're having quite the party in here!"

"Not a party, darling" Rei muttered to her fiancee. "More like a funeral. Poor Mako-chan just watched her culinary hopes and dreams die a very tragic death."

. . . . .


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"Please try to cheer up, Mako-chan" Ami encouraged her friend. "I'm quite sure things won't be nearly as bad as you imagine."

'Don't count on it' Rei thought to herself. 'They'll probably be even worse.'

Makoto forced a smile. "Arigatou, Ami-chan." She shrugged, "Anyway, I suppose it's not the end of the world if I don't win a cooking contest."

"What is this silly nonsense I'm hearing?" Minako scoffed. "Of course you'll come out on top, Mako-chan! With Usagi and me helping you, there's no possible way you can lose!" She returned to her seat and beamed confidently across the table at the worried brunette. "Listen, I know Usagi and I may not be the best kitchen helpers in the world, but I promise we'll both try really hard. Won't we, Usagi-chan?"

"Hai! We will!" the other blonde nodded briskly. She plopped down beside Makoto. "No more stupid toaster oven fires and no more clumsiness either! You can count on me, Mako-chan!" She carelessly reached for her soda, promptly knocking the glass over and spilling sticky liquid across the study table. "Oops! Hehe! My hand slipped!"

"You were saying?" Rei scowled. "Look, you two. There's almost three full days until the contest starts, so how about getting your act together for Mako-chan this one time, ok? Is that too much to ask?"

"No problem, Rei-chan!" Minako insisted. "We've got this! Minna, what's that famous line someone said in an American movie once? I think it went like... 'We're here to kick ass and chew bubble gum. And we're all out of ass!'"

"Doomed" Makoto repeated with a soft groan, while Rei facepalmed.

"If I may suggest something" Ami spoke up. "Why don't you give your assistants some additional practice cooking lessons over the weekend, Mako-chan? Perhaps you should concentrate on teaching them one particular dish at first and assign simple tasks to the girls so they know exactly what they are expected to do during the contest?"

"That may work" Makoto agreed. "Arigatou, Ami-chan."

"Hai. Simple tasks for simple minds" Rei muttered.

"Ohh! Don't always be so mean to us, you meanie!" Usagi fumed.

"I'm _not_ mean! I'm _frustrated!_ " the raven-haired girl yelled back at her. "This could be Mako-chan's big chance to finally gain some proper recognition for her incredible cooking abilities, and I don't want you two goofballs ruining it for her!"

"Um... this may be a bad time to bring the topic up, but doesn't everyone think we should be studying now?" Ami softly reminded her friends. "We wouldn't want to fall behind in our schoolwork."

"Fine! Let's do that!" Usagi muttered. She angrily grabbed a textbook from her bag and dropped it onto the table with a loud thump. " _Anything's_ better than listening to evil Rei scream at me. Even schoolwork! I can learn more about how to be Mako-chan's helper when you drive me out to her house tomorrow night, Ami-chan."

"Gomen, Usagi-chan. I'm afraid I won't be able to give you a ride to Nerima tomorrow" the blue-haired teen apologized. "You'll have to travel there with Minako. My car is in the repair shop until Monday."

"But her driving scares me!" Usagi fretted. "Can I go with you and Yuuichirou instead, Rei-chan?"

"We can't go this weekend because Ojii-chan needs us both here at the shrine, Usagi-chan." The miko asked Ami, What's the problem with your car?"

"Nothing serious, Rei-chan. It's been making a rather annoying squeaking noise from somewhere in the back lately, and I thought I should have it looked at."

"From the back? There's nothing wrong with your car, Ami-chan." Rei snickered and pointed at Usagi. " _There's_ the cause of your funny noise. As annoying and squeaky as always."

"Hush up, you!" the odango-haired blonde steamed. Her voice went up a notch. "Can't you see that I'm trying to _study_ here?"

"Did it sound just like that?" Rei asked the now giggling teen with a smirk.

"I hate it when you make fun of me, Rei-chan!" Usagi angrily opened her homework and glared evilly at it. "And I hate this too!"

Makoto asked the blue-haired girl, "You and your Ryo won't be joining us at the house then? I could really use your help with the lessons I'll be giving my assistants."

"Don't worry, Mako-chan. We'll definitely be there. I've made other transportation arrangements for my Ryo-kun and I regarding the next few days."

"Oh? You did?" Minako suspiciously eyed the girl. "How? What kind of arrangements?" she prodded.

"Um... you'll find out tomorrow morning at school, Minako-chan" Ami answered with a sweet smile. She looked down at her algebra book. "But minna, now it's time for everyone to learn something new. Shall we begin?"

. . . . .

The following morning dawned calm and clear in Tokyo, but the bright sunshine and warm early-autumn air went unnoticed by Tsukino Usagi as she trudged forlornly along the sidewalk toward Juuban High with Kino Makoto walking alongside her.

"I figured out last night just how many more days we have to go to that miserable, boring dump until we finally graduate, Mako-chan" she grumbled. "It's a big number-"

"Don't tell me. All I know is that it's too many" the tall brunette chuckled. "But at least in a few more hours I'll be with my fiancee again, and that's all that really matters."

"Hai" Usagi smiled. "You don't sound nearly as worried about the cooking contest this morning, either. That's good!"

"Thinking of my Yuji always makes me feel happy, Usagi-chan." The pair reached the school gate and noticed with surprise that Minako was already waiting for them near the main entrance. "She's here awfully early today" the brunette remarked. The pair walked up to her. "Konnichiwa, Minako-chan."

"Hi!" the bubbly teen greeted them back. "Have you seen Ami and Ryo yet?"

"No, we just got here" Makoto answered. "Obviously. Why are you asking?"

"Because Ami-chan is hiding something, and I'm really curious about how she and her lover boy are planning on getting to Nerima tonight."

Usagi grinned, "Maybe she rented a fancy limousine or something so she and Ryo can travel there in style."

" _Anything_ would be a big improvement over that silly little blue turtle she drives" the blonde evilly snickered back. "Even a boring old bicycle! _Hehe!_ " Her smile vanished seconds later when an all-too-familiar yellow two-seat sports car came cruising down the street, turning into the school's parking lot amid gasps from the other students standing around the three teens.

Minako's mouth dropped open in stunned shock as an intense wave of jealousy swept over her. " _Noo!_ " she wailed. "Ami borrowed Haruka's Ferrari! And she's bringing it here! To _school!_ "

She stared, green with envy, as the sleek, powerful car pulled smoothly into the vacant parking space next to her humdrum orange Toyota and parked. Ami and Ryo got out and waved to the trio before quickly becoming nearly invisible among a growing crowd of students flocking over to admire the exotic vehicle.

"Now _that's_ what I call arriving in style!" Makoto laughed.

"I _hate_ her when she does that!" Minako scowled, before abruptly turning on her heel and disappearing inside the building.

. . . . .

Later that night...

"Have you drained the noodles yet?"

"I still don't think they're fully done, Mako-chan." Minako stood at the stove in Makoto's country home, peering into a bubbling pot of ramen noodles while her Taro and Makoto's Yuji looked on from the corner of the crowded, steamy kitchen.

The brunette rushed over from a cutting board after hastily cleaning up Usagi's latest disastrously messy attempt at neatly slicing a cucumber. She frowned, "You boiled them way too long again, Minako-chan! That isn't nearly good enough."

"No I didn't, silly!" the blonde disagreed. "They look just fine to me."

Makoto promptly grabbed a fork, stabbed it into the pot and lifted its entire contents out as a single massive sticky lump. "Honestly, would you eat this?" she muttered.

"I would!" Usagi said, licking her lips. "It looks yummy!"

The tall brunette's shoulders slumped. "It's hopeless, Yuji honey. I may as well call the tv station and back out of the competition."

"Please don't quit now, Mako darling" her fiancee begged. "You're never one to give up, my love. And you still have another entire day to get the girls ready."

"Nani? I'm ready _now_ , Yuji-chan!" Minako bubbled. "Ready for the lights, the cameras, the fame! Ohh, maybe a talent agent from one of the big studios will be watching the show and discover me!" she swooned. "Then who knows?" She smiled coyly at her fiancee. "Taro-sugar, your very own love goddess could be the next famous movie star!"

"Hai" Makoto grumbled as she tossed the ruined noodles into a rapidly-filling trash bin. "In a horror movie."

"Night of the Living Doomed!" Yuji added with a chortle, ignoring Minako's scowl. He grinned at his brother. "Keep your whip handy, Indiana Taro!"

"Hey, no fair!" Usagi groaned, peering sadly into the waste bin. "I was going to eat that!"

The brunette looked across the kitchen at Ami. "This isn't going well, Ami-chan. Any more suggestions before I go find a bridge somewhere and jump off of it?"

"Perhaps the girls should concentrate more on their kitchen duties, and much less on being on television" Ami mused. She placed another cucumber on the cutting board. "I think that's what may be distracting them so much."

"Something sure is" Makoto agreed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ami-chan!" Minako indignantly exclaimed. "I've been paying very close attention! This dumb thing needed more water anyway." The blonde grabbed the pot from the stove. "Ow! It's too hot!" She released its metal handle too soon and the pot promptly clattered onto the floor, spilling its contents across the linoleum while releasing yet another thick cloud of steam into the air. "Gomen!" she giggled through the rising mist. "How did _that_ happen?"

Makoto breathed a despondent sigh. "I really need to calm down. Before I make a rash decision, like giving up cooking forever."

"Nani? Please don't ever even _think_ of that, Mako-chan!" Usagi wailed.

The exasperated brunette looked her in the eyes. "After this weekend, Usagi-chan? If I don't survive the next two days without going completely crazy, _anything_ is possible."

. . . . .


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter** **3:**

That Sunday afternoon...

"I really appreciate your letting me drive us back to Tokyo, Minako-chan" Makoto thanked her from behind the wheel of her friend's orange hatchback. "I enjoy driving more than I ever imagined I would."

"Don't mention it!" the bubbly blonde replied from the seat behind her. "It's the least I can do for my dear friend and future sister-in-law. Not to mention the girl who's going to make me a famous celebrity!" She snugly squeezed the hand of the boy sitting beside her and announced, "Taro sugar, as of tonight, a _star_ is born!"

"You have become very accomplished behind the wheel, Mako honey" Yuji complimented his bride-to-be. "Someday, I'll see to it that you get your own car, and then you can drive whenever and wherever you want."

"I think you're really good at it too, Mako-chan" Usagi spoke up. "I feel an awful lot safer now than I did on the trip out here."

Minako glared evilly at the blonde sitting next to her. "You're becoming as sarcastic as Rei lately, Usagi-chan."

"Am I?" Usagi giggled. "Gomen!"

"And I want to thank you and Usagi for all the hard work you did in the kitchen this weekend" the brunette spoke as she carefully followed Ami's borrowed sports car through the streets of Nerima. "I must admit, I had my doubts about the whole thing, especially after all those cooking disasters on Friday night, but you've both improved a lot since then." She smiled happily at her fiancee. "Maybe I can win this thing after all, Yuji darling."

"Are you feeling nervous about cooking on live television, my love?" the sixteen-year-old boy asked her with a knowing smile.

"Hai. A little" she admitted. "But having you there to cheer me on helps a whole lot." Makoto added, "It's a shame the contest organizers are only allowing each team to bring three guests with them, but they told me the audience's v.i.p. section is really small and the other seats in the studio are already sold out. Ami and Rei and their guys will probably be stuck watching us on tv."

Minako proudly beamed at her young man. "Did you her that, sugar muffin? You're a very important person too now!" She impulsively pulled him closer and pressed her lips deeply to his. " _Mmmm!_ How does it feel to be kissed by a famous movie star, honey dumpling?"

"You're already a celebrity to me, my beautiful Minako" her boy smiled lovingly back. "In every way imaginable."

Yuji turned around and grinned at his brother. "Maybe they'll make _you_ famous too, Indiana. Oh, don't forget to bring your whip!"

"Shut up, Yuji-chan" Taro replied with a chuckle.

" _My_ fiancee will be sitting there watching us too!" Usagi said with a bright smile. "But I'm not trying to be famous like Minako is. I just want to help Mako-chan win and make my Mamo-chan really proud of me tonight."

"Follow my directions as closely as you can, and I'm sure you will" Makoto reassured her odango-haired friend as she pulled onto the expressway. "Just remember what Ami told you and Minako. Stay calm, ignore the cameras and the audience, and focus on your job." She accelerated the Toyota hard in a futile attempt to keep the rapidly-disappearing Ferrari in sight.

"Hai! I'll do that!" Usagi nodded.

"Hmm..." Minako pondered, tapping her index finger against her lip. "I wonder who else will be seated in the v.i.p. section?" She suddenly gasped, " _I_ _know!_ It'll probably be filled with studio executives and talent agents! Hai, maybe even a big shot movie producer or two, on the hunt for a stunningly beautiful love goddess to star in their next picture! _Like_ _me!_ Hehe!"

"I know at least two other people who're going to be sitting in the front row" Makoto chuckled. "Sorry, Minako-chan, but they're not movie producers or talent scouts." She suddenly grimaced, realizing she had said too much.

"No?" the blonde frowned. "Then who are they?"

"Uh... never mind. It's not that important."

" _I'll_ be the judge of that, Mako-chan!" The curious blonde leaned forward, tightening against her seat belt. "I'm going to keep pestering you until you finally give in and tell me who they are. All the way back to Tokyo if necessary! _So_ _tell_ _me_ _now!_ "

Makoto sighed deeply. "Ami said that Michiru and Haruka will be attending the contest. They promised her they would when she borrowed Haruka's Ferrari last Thursday."

A sudden deathly silence filled the car.

" _Haruka!_ " Minako scowled. "The very nerve! Sitting in the same place as my poor helpless fiancee!" She fumed, "I'll be watching her, and her wicked wandering hussy hands! One wrong move in my Taro-love's direction, _just_ _one_ , and she's as good as dead!"

"Oh oh" Yuji spoke worriedly. "Here we go again, Mako honey."

"Hai" the brunette muttered. "Me and my big mouth."

. . . . .


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter** **4:**

"Minna, this is our stop." Makoto stepped down off the city bus, followed closely by her beloved Yuji. Her two helpers for the evening joined the brunette in front of the tv station along with their fiancees, where Minako immediately latched protectively onto Taro's arm. Her suspicious blue eyes quickly scanned the area, and after finding no sign of Tenou Haruka she allowed herself to relax.

"Remember, if wicked Haruka tries to get too friendly with you and starts making any lewd moves, my love muffin, try your best to fight her off until I rush over there and defend your honor" Minako instructed her boy. She scowled, "She'd better not even _dream_ of spoiling my big tv debut either, that sneaky hussy, or I'll-"

"You'll what?" Makoto scoffed. "Henshin into Sailor Venus on live tv and attack her with your Crescent Beam?"

"Of course not, silly! That wouldn't be very discreet, would it now? I'll... um... I'll punch her right in the nose instead!"

"Great" the brunette muttered to her grinning Yuji. "A brawl in the studio. Just what I needed tonight."

"Minna, let's get this cooking show on the road!" Minako urged, dragging her Taro forward. She giggled, "I don't want to keep my public waiting!"

. . . . .

The couples followed a sign that lead them to two doors near the rear of the large building. One entrance bore the words 'Studio Audience' while the other was marked for contestants only. "Well, this is it, Yuji darling." Makoto gathered the love of her life into her arms. "I guess we'll meet up out here after it's all over."

Her fiancee tenderly kissed her. "That's for good luck" Yuji smiled. His soft tone of voice abruptly became one of complete confidence in her. "Now go in there and show them just how good you _really_ are, Mako my love!"

"But just at cooking, Mako-chan!" Minako added with a giggle. "Not at _hiking! Hehe!_ ". She squeezed her Taro tightly, the second couple also sharing a lengthy, passionate good-luck kiss while Makoto stood glaring evilly at her.

The third pair of young lovers also embraced before they went their separate ways. "I'll be cheering for you, Usako" Mamoru whispered after their lips had parted. "And no matter what happens tonight, remember how much I love you."

"Hai" the odango-haired blonde murmured. "I will."

"Feeling nervous?" he asked.

Usagi giggled. "Scared to death, Mamo-chan."

The group split up, with Makoto leading her team inside. After signing in with security, they were escorted to a small windowless room containing several chairs, a leather sofa and a tiny coffee table. A floor-to-ceiling illuminated mirror covered much of the room's back wall. "Someone will be with you soon" the guard promised. "After they've finished giving the usual pre-show briefing to the other team from Le Cordon Bleu." He bowed politely to the girls before leaving. "I wish you luck, ladies." But as he closed the door, Makoto heard him mumble, "You're going to need it."

Upon hearing what he had said about her competitors, most of Makoto's earlier optimism instantly vanished into thin air. "I think the producers of this contest are expecting us to bomb tonight" she frowned. "And badly too."

"Mako-chan, what's that Cordon Bleu thing the guy mentioned?" Usagi wondered.

"It's the name of a really famous and exclusive culinary school here in Tokyo" the brunette glumly replied. "And it's starting to feel like we'll probably be up against three of their best students. Usagi-chan, this is going to be a whole lot harder than I thought it would be." She slowly turned away from Usagi only to spy Minako striking various poses in front of the large mirror while smiling alluringly into it.

"Getting ready for your big close-up?" Makoto grumbled at her.

"Nani? Gomen, Mako-chan!" Minako spun around and winked, "Just making sure I'm properly prepared for those talent agent thingies and my upcoming discovery! My next stop, the silver screen!"

. . . . .

At the rear of the Hikawa Jinja, Ami carefully eased her borrowed sports car into the parking space beside Hino Rei's Mercedes. She gazed lovingly at her young man while he hurried around the vehicle and graciously opened the driver's door for her, then bowed deeply to his sixteen-year-old fiancee as she exited the Ferrari.

"You're spoiling me, my Ryo-kun" the blue-haired girl giggled. "And I love it!"

Ryo smiled, "Just because you're not appearing on tv tonight, doesn't mean you aren't a big star to me, my beautiful Ami."

"I honestly don't care about the fame aspect, at least not in the way Minako does" she spoke as they walked hand-in-hand up to the shrine. "But I do wish I was there to help Mako-chan. She's not only a brilliant cook, but a loyal friend and a truly kind and wonderful person as well. She deserves to win this."

"Hai, she does. And I've never enjoyed a better meal in my life than those incredible dinners she makes for everyone at her house in Nerima."

"Better than _my_ dinners?" Ami teased, making her boy's face redden.

"Uh... I... um..." Ryo stuttered.

"You don't have to answer that question" she smiled. "I'm quite aware that I'll _never_ be as talented as Mako-chan is in the kitchen."

"I guess everyone has their own unique abilities and talents" Ryo said as he slid open the old building's rear door for her. "And yours is without a doubt expanding your brilliant mind by educating yourself about new things and, of course, your... um... intense studying."

"Oh?" The blue-haired girl paused in the doorway to the shrine's living quarters. She coyly asked him, "Precisely which kind of 'studying' are you referring to, darling?"

Ryo answered with a shy smile, "Both kinds, my love."

This time it was Ami who blushed red. "My Ryo-kun!" She impulsively kissed his cheek and they continued inside to join Rei and Yuuichirou for what they hoped would be not merely an entertaining evening of television, but a well-deserved victory for their dear friend Kino Makoto.

. . . . .


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

The boys soon found themselves in what appeared to be a small theater, but instead of a movie screen, an elaborate set was spread out on a large sound stage before them. Mamoru lead the teens to their assigned places on the left side of the front row and the three young men took their seats, with Usagi's fiancee on the left, Yuji in the middle and Taro to his brother's right. The six rows of general seating behind the boys were quickly filling up as the regular audience began filing in.

"It really does look like a simplified version of the Iron Chef set" Mamoru mused. Two well-equipped kitchens had been arranged to the left and right of the stage, with food preparation areas near the center and various types of ovens and refrigerators lining the far left and right. A heavy black curtain crossed the stage directly behind the work areas, while several broadcast cameras and their operators stood ready in a space between the audience and the stage.

Yuji chuckled, "My Mako-chan would positively _kill_ to have all that fancy new cooking equipment they have here, Mamoru-san. Rennovating the old kitchen at her house has been a dream of hers since the very first weekend she stayed there."

Taro grinned at his younger brother. "Better think about getting a second job, Yuji-chan. You wouldn't want to disappoint your fiancee, would you?"

"I know. But these things take time." Yuji teased him back, "And _you_ need a second job too, Taro-chan. And probably a third! Don't forget about your Minako's dream of owning her own sports car. Those things cost an awful lot more than a new stove and refrigerator."

"Hai" Taro laughed. "She has mentioned it to me... a few times!"

"Do Ferraris come in orange, Indiana?" the younger Ito grinned.

His brother was still thinking of a suitable retort when a familiar female voice greeted him and his companions.

"Konbanwa, minna! Ah, we meet again, Taro-chan."

Tenou Haruka smiled warmly at the boy and settled comfortably into the seat alongside him, with Michiru by her side.

. . . . .

Offstage to the left, three sixteen-year-old girls waited behind a smaller pair of closed curtains for their call to action. Curious to see what awaited them on the other side, Makoto made a gap just wide enough to peek through. "Nice setup" she murmured, trying to memorize the layout of her temporary new kitchen. "Sinks and countertops are over there, and ovens-"

"What else do you see?" Minako impatiently interrupted the tall brunette. "Forget about that silly cooking stuff, Mako-chan! I want to know how many important-looking talent agents are here!"

"How am I supposed to find out? Do you want me to march out on stage and ask for a show of hands? Focus on why we're here, Minako-chan!" the brunette growled. She turned her head to peer slightly to the right. "Minna, I can see our guys! And there's... oh-oh." She abruptly stepped back and closed the curtains.

"Nani? Why the oh-oh?" her blonde friend pressed. Minako impulsively dodged around her and made her own wider gap in the blinds, poking her entire head through it. " _Noo!_ " she recoiled with a gasp. "My worst nightmare has come true! Wicked Haruka is here and she's sitting right beside my honey muffin!" Minako angrily yanked the curtains closed. "Minna, this is a disaster!" she wailed. "Those wandering hands of hers will be all over my man in no time!" She fumed, "I have to do something to stop her! But what?"

"How about forgetting about Haruka and trying to act normally tonight, Minako-chan" Makoto pleaded. "She isn't going to touch your Taro, and especially not in a place like this with all those bright lights they have everywhere." The brunette frowned when seconds later, the audience lights dimmed, then went completely dark. "Wonderful" she muttered. "We haven't even started yet and baka Minako is already spoiling for a fight." She sighed deeply. "What else can possibly go wrong tonight?"

As if to answer her question, Usagi suddenly grabbed onto Makoto's arm, her hands trembling. "Mako-chan, I'm really, _really_ scared! I don't think I can go through with this after all!"

"Sure you can, silly!" Minako encouraged her. "I read somewhere that if a person has to give a speech to a large crowd and they're feeling nervous, they should try to imagine everyone naked." She giggled, "I know I'll be picturing my stud muffin that way!"

"Don't you always?" Makoto muttered.

. . . . .

At the Hikawa Jinja, Ami and Ryo sat with their hosts in the study room. Yuuichirou had relocated Rei's small television onto the low table and he and the miko waited with them for the show to begin.

"Minna, I'm taking bets" Rei announced. "I'm willing to wager one thousand yen that before this thing is over, Usagi will start at least one fire, and Minako will damage or destroy an appliance. Any takers?"

"Rei-chan! That isn't a very nice thing to say about your dear friends!" Ami scolded the raven-haired girl. "Let's all keep a positive attitude and hope that doesn't happen."

"Suit yourself." Rei calmly sipped her tea. "I'm speaking from experience here. In any case, we'll know if I'm right soon enough. The program starts in five minutes."

To her Ryo's astonishment, Ami said "Ok, Rei-chan. I'll take that bet. Five hundred yen on there being no fire" she proposed, "and the other half on no damage to the equipment."

"Arigatou, Ami-chan" the miko grinned. "I promise to spend your money wisely."

. . . . .

Music suddenly blared from speakers in the studio, and a man in a brightly-colored suit and garish tie trotted onstage with a wireless microphone in hand. "Minna, I'm Shintani Hiroto, and I'd like to welcome everyone to episode four of the second-best culinary arts show in Tokyo, Teenage Chefs!" After an enthusiastic round of applause from the audience, he continued "We've got a great competition tonight, pitting students of the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu against three young underdogs from a local high school right here in Minato! Let's meet our contestants!"

A stage hand pulled the curtain aside and gestured to Makoto and her helpers. "You're on, ladies" while across the room the opposite curtain parted and a trio of nineteen-year-old females calmly walked out and formed a line before politely bowing to the announcer and the audience.

Minako wasted no time, sprinting into the limelight while giving everyone her brightest smile and waving at the crowd with both hands. " _Minna_ , _hi_ _hi!_." She blew a kiss at her Taro, then scowled at the chuckling young woman beside him, giving Haruka her sternest 'I dare you' glare.

"Follow me, Usagi-chan." Makoto followed the bubbly blonde on stage at a more dignified pace, only to glance back and see the terrified third member of her team trembling behind a curtain.

"Uh... I think someone's missing" the announcer laughed.

"Gomen nasai" the brunette blushed. She ran back and grabbed Usagi's quivering hand, dragging the girl along behind her. "Let's go, Usagi-chan! We're on!"

"And we're off to a great start" Rei smirked from the study room. "Odango-atama picked the perfect time to have a panic attack!"

The announcer spoke to the lead girl of the competing team. "Let's introduce our chef from the first school."

The girl nodded and smiled confidently into the nearest hand-held video camera, her reddish hair neatly tied in a bun. "My name is Sakata Kaho, and I'm a second-year honors student, majoring in East-Asian cuisine at Le Cordon Bleu."

"An honors student?" Hiroto remarked. "Very impressive, Sakata-san!" After the girl's two assistants introduced themselves, the announcer turned his attention to the second team. He held his microphone up to Makoto. "And you are?"

I'm Kino Makoto, Shintani-san" she spoke into the camera. "I'm a first-year student at Juuban High."

"Very good, Kino-chan." He moved down the line. "Assistant number one would be...?"

"Aino Minako, Shintani-san!" the blonde blurted loudly into the microphone, causing the sound engineer to grimace. "I'm in Mako-chan's class and I'm ready to get busy tonight doing what I do best!" she beamed brightly at the camera.

Rei snorted, "She's going to have sex with Taro?" causing Ami to giggle uncontrollably.

"And finally, we have...?" the announcer continued, holding his microphone up close to the odango-haired blonde.

Usagi stood rigidly frozen beneath the dazzling stage lights, her mouth hanging open and eyes fearfully wide.

"We have...?" Hiroto urged her again.

"Uhhh... my... name... is... uhh..." Usagi gurgled into the microphone, her blue eyes fixated on the camera as though it were a gun pointed at her, her face ghostly pale.

"She's Tsukino Usagi, Shintani-san" Makoto finished for her. "She's in my class too."

"Excellent." The announcer turned away, facing the audience. "Minna, how about a big round of applause for our competitors tonight?"

Makoto smiled when she heard her fiancee's encouraging cheer carry above the noise from the crowd. " _Go_ _Mako_ - _chan!_ "

"And now, may I have the aprons please" Hiroto requested. An attractive young woman came out and handed each girl a white apron, emblazoned at the front with the tv station's logo.

As the teens donned their aprons and began tying them up, Ami watched with deepening concern. "Poor Usagi. She's positively terrified, Rei-chan."

"You were expecting something different?" her friend muttered. "Look at that baka girl, Ami-chan. She's putting her apron on backwards!"

The raven-haired teen focused her deep indigo eyes on the brunette on her tv screen, watching Makoto as she helped Usagi adjust her apron. "You can win this, Mako-chan" she softly breathed to the image before her. "You _will_ win this." The miko's eyes slipped closed, her hands coming together to begin forming the sacred symbols of Kuji-goshin-ho. "I have faith in you."

. . . . .


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter** **6:**

The announcer gestured toward the dark curtain covering the back half of the set. "If I may direct your attention to the rear, ladies. We've decided to break away from the traditional by adding a unique twist to your challenge this evening." He chuckled, "You've probably been preparing youselves to produce your very best Asian cuisine..." he paused as the curtain began to rise, "... but tonight our three celebrity judges will be dining in the Italian style!"

Makoto grimaced as an elevated platform containing the ingredients was revealed and the announcer continued, gesturing with his free hand toward the raw food. "You'll be working with pasta, fresh Italian vegetables, meats and fish. I wish you well."

'Just great' the brunette muttered to herself. 'Something I've never tried cooking before.'

"You have one hour" Hiroto told both teams. He pointed to a large digital timer hanging nearby. "Beginning... now!"

The announcer left the set as the timer began counting down. Makoto and the other aspiring young chef sprinted toward the platform and took large trays, with their helpers running up behind the girls. "What to you need, Mako-chan?" Minako breathlessly asked.

"I don't know! Lots of everything, I guess!"

Having spied the food, Usagi's earlier stage fright had magically vanished and the odango-haired blonde began scooping up huge random handfuls of tomatoes and peppers, dumping them haphazardly into the tray. Minako grasped onto two large bags of flour and rushed back to her side of the kitchen, tossing them vigorously onto a nearby countertop.

Ami gasped as she watched one of the bags burst open, covering its work surface in thick white powder. " _Oh_ _dear!_ "

"Oops!" the embarassed blonde giggled.

"That's disaster number one for Minako-chan, and she only needed ten seconds this time!" Rei laughed. "A new record!"

Makoto hurried back with her overloaded tray. "Leave it, Minako-chan! I'll make pizza dough here!" She ordered Usagi, "Usagi-chan, give me anchovies!"

"Or give me death!" Rei chortled to Ami.

"Anchovies? What are those, Mako-chan?"

"Those little fish sitting on ice in the big bin over there!" the brunette pointed backstage. "I need a dozen!"

"Hai!" Usagi nodded. "I can do that!" The girl ran to the platform, seized another nearby tray and reached for the fish, gingerly lifting one up between two fingers. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Ugh! They feel all cold and slimy!"

"Just do it!" Makoto yelled. The brunette handed Minako several onions. "Here, chop these up into little squares on the other table, then bring them to me."

"I'm on it!" her helper nodded briskly. The blonde looked in puzzlement at a row of gleaming sharp knives hanging above her table, grabbed a huge meat cleaver and began brutally hacking away at the innocent vegetables. "Mako-chan, my eyes are watering!" Minako sniffled.

"Deal with it!" came the busy brunette's harried reply.

As Makoto filled a mixing bowl with flour and water, a male commentator's voice spoke through Rei's tv. "Team number two is off to a rough start, Meisa-san."

A woman replied, "Hai, Touma-san. Let's hope they can recover."

The camera changed to a shot of the team from Le Cordon Bleu. "Everything appears to be going much more smoothly over there" Touma said as he watched the three older students methodically work in their kitchen.

"The mark of true professionals" the woman agreed.

" _Ahh!_ _I_ _just_ _cut_ _myself!_ "

The sudden wail from off-camera switched the tv feed back to Makoto's team to find Minako flinching while shaking her left index finger. "Ouch! _It_ _stings!_ "

"Don't bleed on the onions!" Makoto spun around and hissed at her. She set her bowl in an electric mixer and flipped it on.

A studio crewmember hurried up to the injured girl with a first-aid kit and quickly sprayed the cut before applying a bandage to the tiny wound.

"That better, miss?" the man asked.

"No! It hurts even _more_ now!" Minako wailed at him.

"Ah yes. Nurse Minako finally gets a taste of her own medicine" Rei snickered at the television. "And justice is finally served."

Minako overheard a low chuckle from the front row and glared evilly at the shadowy outline of a grinning Tenou Haruka. "Don't you _dare_ laugh at me, you hussy!" she growled, brandishing the cleaver at her. " _And_ _keep_ _your_ _sneaky_ _hands_ _off_ _my_ _fiancee! Or else!_ "

"It now appears as though one of Kino-chan's assistants is threatening someone in the studio audience!" Touma exclaimed. "We've never seen that before!"

Makoto tried her best to ignore the sudden commotion. "Usagi-chan!" she snapped.

"Hai!"

The brunette held out a thick cream-colored block. "Take this mozarella cheese and grate it for me!"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Usagi pondered.

"Just rub it back and forth over that grater over there. And watch your fingers!"

"Ohh! Why do I always get all the hard jobs?" Usagi grumbled, snatching the cheese and stomping over to the sharp-looking metal tool, while Makoto rushed back to check on her mixer. She dragged the lump back and forth across the grater a few times, producing a few tiny pieces. "Way too slow!" she muttered, then looked around, spotting a food processor nearby. "I know! Mama has one of those! I'll stick it in there instead to save time!"

The odango-haired teen tried jamming the block into the machine's small opening. "This stupid cheese won't fit!" she fumed. "I need to force it in somehow!" In desperation she picked up a soup ladle and used its handle to viciously ram the ingredient inside. "That's better! All I need to do now is switch it on." Usagi stared blankly at its control panel. "There's too many buttons on this dumb thing!"

Leaving the ladle dangling inside the device for the moment, she whirled to face Minako. "Minako-chan! I need to grate cheese! Show me which button to push to start this crazy contraption!"

"Nani? I'm not a rocket surgeon, Usagi-chan!" Her friend was still furiously chopping onions, but took a split-second to glance over at the device's controls. "I think it's this one" she guessed. Minako pressed the button for low speed and a raucous clatter ensued as the ladle rattled violently around inside the device.

" _Wait!_ _Turn_ _it_ _off!_ " Usagi blurted. She hastily stabbed at another button, switching the motor to full power. Before anyone could react, the plastic processor bowl began to crack, then abruptly shattered into fragments with a loud bang.

One of the flying pieces jabbed itself into the arm of a man standing nearby holding a portable camera. " _Ow!_ "

" _Ohh!_ See what you just did, Minako-chan! You blew up the machine!"

In the shrine, Ami gasped again. "Poor Mako-chan! I think she's in real trouble!"

Rei looked smugly at Ami and held out her hand. "I believe that's five hundred yen you owe me, Ami-chan."

"Hai." The blue haired girl sighed and reached for her purse.

. . . . .


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Upon hearing the noise of the food processor disintegrating and the chorus of alarmed gasps that followed from the audience, Makoto uncerimoniously tossed her pizza dough onto the work table and sprinted over to her helpers. "Is anyone hurt?"

"Just me" the cameraman said. He winced as he pulled the small plastic shard from his arm.

"It wasn't all _my_ fault that silly thing exploded, Mako-chan!" Minako told her, her defensive words failing to hide the deep disappointment she felt within. "It was Usagi who left that ladle thingie inside the-"

"It doesn't matter _whose_ fault it was!" the brunette angrily snapped. Her temper began to flare and she forced herself to take a slow, deep breath. "I'm giving you both a time out. Stand somewhere, anywhere, I don't care, as long as it's out of my way. Let me work alone for a while. Understand?" After both girls nodded, she muttered, "Good. I'll call you if I need another appliance wrecked."

"Ladies and gentlemen, in what appears to be a stunning turn of events" the male commentator excitedly spoke into his microphone, "the brave young chef of Team Two appears to have abandoned her assistants and is going it alone!"

"I... was... just..." Usagi began to sniffle, only to watch her friend spin around and rush back to her waiting dough. "I'm _so_ very sorry, Mako-chan" she called after her, but the brunette didn't answer.

Usagi looked into the eyes of the frowning blonde standing beside her. "What just happened _was_ entirely my fault, Minako-chan" she admitted. "Now Mako-chan is going to lose the contest, and its all because of..." she began to sob, " _because_ _of_ _stupid_ _baka_ _me!_ " The teary-eyed girl turned and walked off the stage and over to where her fiancee was sitting in the front row. "Mamo-chan, I really need a hug."

Tears began sliding down her cheeks as her young man stood and tenderly embraced her. "Don't cry, Usako" Mamoru softly spoke. "It was just an unfortunate accident. Perhaps Makoto still has time to recover-"

"And lose!" Usagi sobbed into his shoulder. "Why am I always so useless at everything important? _Why?"_

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Usagi-chan" Haruka encouraged her. "Everyone is under a lot of pressure in a contest like this, so you need not-"

"That isn't a good reason, Haruka-san!" the distraught girl answered. "Not tonight! Not with Mako-chan counting on me!"

"Such a touching and dramatic moment" the female commentator spoke to the television audience.

"Indeed. We're certainly getting more than our share of angst in the studio this evening" her companion agreed. "That food processor incident could very well be the writing on the wall for Kino Makoto and any chance, however slim, she had of victory."

Back in the Hikawa shrine, two young couples sat quietly watching the events unfold until Rei suddenly stood up and excused herself. "Stay here with Ami and Ryo, Yuuichirou darling. I'll be back soon."

"Going somewhere, my love?" her young man asked.

"There's something important I just remembered I need to do." The raven-haired girl left her puzzled friends and fiancee behind and paced quickly down the wood-panelled hallway toward another very special room, the sacred place where she often performed her fire readings. Rei noticed upon passing Hino-sensei's bedroom that his old black and white television was switched on, and tuned to the same channel she had been viewing. "That's strange" she mused before continuing on. "Ojii-chan said he wasn't going to watch the contest tonight because he's too busy."

Less than a dozen more quick steps brought the miko to the fire room, but as she reached out to slide its door open, she heard her grandfather's voice speaking softly from within.

"Kojin, kami of hearth and kitchen, I humbly seek your divine aid" the Shinto priest solemnly spoke from where he kneeled before the crackling flames. "A dear and special friend is in need of your assistance tonight. All I ask is that you please grant Kino Makoto the strength and the time she needs to allow those wonderful abilities you have blessed her with to shine brightly through."

Rei paused at the door for a moment, then smiled and turned away.

. . . . .

Makoto spared a second to glance at the countdown clock as she feverishly rolled the pizza dough flat. "There's no way I can do everything that needs to be done in the time left' she realized. 'Not without help.' Pangs of guilt stabbed into the soft-hearted girl about the uncharacteristically callous way she had just rebuked her dear friends in public. 'Maybe it'd be best for everyone if I go ahead and admit defeat right here and now' she sighed.

She dropped the rolling pin she held and stopped her work, looking across her temporary kitchen and out towards the audience. Tsukino Usagi was still in her Mamoru's arms, the girl's cheeks damp with tears. Aino Minako stood by herself off to one side of the set near a large refrigerator, the usually cheerful, bubbly blonde staring despondently down at the floor.

And then she spotted her Yuji and her heart quickened its beat. The boy smiled lovingly back at her with the kind of tender, understanding smile that could only come from a true soulmate. He raised his right hand and gave his beloved Makoto a confident thumbs-up.

The brunette abruptly made her decision and turned back to her work. She yelled over her shoulder, "Minako-chan!"

"Hai."

"Boil a pot of water! You're making pasta!"

The blonde's frown vanished and she beamed brightly, answering with an enthusiastic "Hai hai!"

The girl with the red bow in her hair immediately leapt into action, while Makoto peered questioningly at the still-unused ingredients sitting in her tray. Trying hard to recall those colorful pictures of Italian food she remembered perusing in one of her cookbooks, the brunette reached into the tray for a length of salami. "Usagi-chan, please come here. I need your help!"

The second blonde sniffled back, "No you don't, Mako-chan. I'll just ruin whatever you ask me to-"

"Stop feeling sorry and get those two odango of yours over here _now!_ " the brunette ordered, and Usagi was surprised to see her friend smile at her.

"Hai." She left the comfort of her fiancee's embrace and scurried back onto the set.

Makoto handed her the sausage. "Cut this into thin slices for me. Don't hurt yourself, and _don't_ use a machine to do it! Got it?"

"I'll try" Usagi nodded, wiping away the last of her tears with her apron.

'We've got our backs against the wall, but it's not over yet' Makoto thought. 'All my friends think I'm a good cook. If that really is true, now's the time to prove it'.

. . . . .


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

The three students from Le Cordon Bleu had been smiling confidently as they worked, assuming the kitchen mishaps the other team suffered through would make tonight's challenge an easy win for them. But as they now glanced across the stage at their competitors, they were astonished at the sight.

Kino Makoto had become a teenage whirlwind, leaping from one task to the next in a determined brown-haired blur of perpetual motion. Her two helpers also seemed to have finally gotten their act together, with the girl in charge of making pasta even finding enough time to wave at the nearest camera and blow even more kisses toward a handsome young man seated in the front row.

"Mako-chan, can you check these funny-looking noodle thingies for me?" Minako called out. "I think they're nearly ready."

The tall brunette was at her side in an instant, carefully examining the penne with a fork. "Hai, they're done. Great work, Minako-chan! Now drain them and find a suitable plate for me, please. I'll have the other ingredients ready to mix into it in a minute."

Usagi hurried over. "Here's those sausage slices you wanted. Are they thin enough?"

"They're perfect, Usagi-chan!" the pleased brunette smiled. "Arigatou."

"And unlike your _other_ helper, _I_ didn't cut myself even once" the odango-haired girl smirked at Minako. Usagi placed her hands on her hips, ready for her next challenge "Ok, Mako-chan! What's next?"

"Um... slice these!" Makoto ran to her tray and tossed the girl three tomatoes. Usagi shocked her watching fiancee by deftly catching all of them without any difficulty.

"I find myself at a loss to explain how, but my Usako has definitely upped her game in the last few minutes" Mamoru whispered to Yuji. "I've never seen her work at anything as confidently as this before. Color me impressed!"

"Hai. And just look at my Mako-chan go!" Yuji whispered back in amazement. "She's absolutely on _fire_ tonight!"

Taro snickered, "I'm sure you and her will both be when you're alone together later this evening, Yuji-chan."

"Settle down, Indiana." The younger brother grinned, "You know, you sounded exactly like Minako when you said that."

"My girl's humor must be contagious" Taro chuckled. He smiled as he spotted her blowing another kiss toward him. "I love her so very much."

Michiru spoke softly to her lover, "Now that I've given it more thought, running an efficient kitchen is similar in many ways to performing as part of an orchestra, Haruka. It can take some adjustment for each member to fit neatly within the whole, but the resulting performance can often be quite... magical."

"Hai" the tall blonde nodded. "And from what we're seeing here lately, it looks like Mako-chan finally has her two helpers playing along in tune to the same score."

"As I knew she would" Michiru smiled confidently at the brunette on stage.

. . . . .

"Rei-chan, you've been missing a rather fascinating turn of events" Ami told the miko as she returned from a quick bathroom break.

"Really? What happend? Has the tv studio finally gone up in flames?" Rei sat beside her fiancee and peered curiously at her television. "It can't be that interesting, Ami-chan. I don't hear any fire alarms, and the audience isn't screaming in panic or running for their lives."

"Mako-chan is really flying! And Usagi and Minako are in the groove too now, Rei darling" Yuuichirou told her. "In fact" he added with a grin, "I think it's appropriate to say they're... really cooking!"

"You've been waiting all night to use that horrible pun, haven't you?" the raven-haired girl groaned.

"He _is_ correct though, Rei-chan" Ryo said, still chuckling at Yuuichirou's joke. "The girls are performing quite well as a team now. I wonder how Usagi and Minako were able to improve so suddenly?"

The miko thought of her grandfather and smiled, but merely replied, "Sometimes miracles do happen, I suppose."

. . . . .

The finishing bell rang just as Makoto removed her first-ever pizza from its oven and the brunette slid her finished creation onto a large serving plate. "That's it" she told her friends, wiping her arm across her forehead. "We're done. Whew!"

Usagi watched stage hands carefully place Makoto's three finished courses onto a wheeled cart. "I don't know much about most foreign food, but it all looks and smells so yummy, Mako-chan!" the blonde exclaimed. She wrinkled her nose disapprovingly and pointed, "Except for those weird-looking fishy things on your pizza. I'm still not sure about them." Usagi reached out to steal a bite as the cart was pushed past her, but the brunette anticipated her move and gently restrained Usagi's wrist.

"That food is for the judges, Usagi-chan" Makoto reminded the now-ravenous blonde. "So no snacking!"

"Nani? Not even one tiny little nibble?" Usagi begged. "You know, just to test it first?"

"Sorry. You'll have to wait until later."

The disappointed blonde grumbled, "After all your hard work making everything, we don't get to eat _any_ of it?" She looked glumly at Minako. "How cruel is that?"

The announcer again bounded onstage, followed by two men and a woman who took seats behind a table at the rear of the set. He spun around, microphone in hand, and addressed the audience. "Our teams have all worked very hard tonight, but now it's time to find out which young chef's efforts pay off. Let's turn the show over to our panel of celebrity judges for their final verdict." He bowed to Makoto and her competitor. "Good luck."

After the crowd had applauded the girls, Yuji crossed the fingers on both of his hands. "Bring the win home, Mako darling" he spoke softly, his forehead wrinkling with effort as he tried to somehow mentally will the judges into choosing his beloved's creations as the best. "Win this thing."

Taro grinned at his brother. "You sound a little stressed, Yuji-chan."

"Stressed? _Me?_ " Yuji chuckled. "Whatever gave you _that_ idea, Taro-chan?" He laughed as he spied Minako suddenly spin around to blow Taro still another kiss, then give the evil eye one last time to Haruka, who simply smiled innocently back at the suspicious girl. "Maybe you should lean further towards me, Indiana. Just to be on the safe side. Unless you'd like a repeat of that movie theater disaster and want another soda or something even worse thrown in your face!"

"Doing it!" his older brother chuckled. He tilted his body to the left until his shoulder bumped firmly against Yuji's.

"But not _that_ close!" Yuji grimaced.

. . . . .

Rei sat shaking her head in disbelief at the television. "Minna, I can't understand it! Usagi and Minako together in a kitchen for an entire hour, and not even one fire or explosion. It's... incredible!"

"Ahem."

The blue-haired girl sitting beside her on the floor cleared her throat, then smiled sweetly at her miko friend.

"Nani?" Rei asked.

Ami held out her hand. "I believe you'll be returning my money, Rei-chan. After all, I _did_ win the second part of our bet."

Rei frowned. "Hai. I was hoping you'd forget about our little wager, Ami-chan, but I suppose there wasn't much hope of _that_ happening." She dug into her purse and handed Ami the same five hundred-yen notes she had won earlier. The miko sighed, "Sayonara, new manga."

Yuuichirou sat snickering beside her. "Easy come, easy go, Rei darling."

"It's just my luck that those two baka kitchen nightmares finally decided to act like normal people on the _one_ _night_ I bet against them" Rei muttered. She sighed, "At least they finally helped Mako-chan the way they were supposed to. It was worth being wrong if she wins."

. . . . .

The celebrity judges were introduced to the audience as they began sampling the dishes of the first team. The first judge, a well-known movie actor, had nothing but praise for the girls from the famous culinary institute. "The texture... the flavour... the overall presentation... I have to give this first course a nine out of ten" he smiled.

The other two judges also rated the food highly. "Hai. It will certainly be difficult to top this altogether wonderful meal" the female judge, a renowned singer, spoke next. "Quite excellent!"

Having finished sampling the wares of the three students of Le Cordon Bleu, it was now Makoto's turn. Though she had based her three courses on her skills and intuition and a few vague memories from her cookbooks, the brunette made no excuses for her work.

Makoto simply bowed politely to the judges, adding with a smile, "Minna, I hope you like it."

. . . . .


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

The three celebrity judges had been closely watching from offstage as both teams prepared their meals, and now smiled skeptically at Makoto as her first course was placed in front of them. The first judge regarded the offered dish with low expectations.

"The presentation here is actually surprisingly well done, considering the rush in which you prepared it" he admitted with a chuckle.

The tall brunette stood silently waiting, while in the front row of the studio audience the three girls' fiancees held their breath. Yuji clenched his hands together so tightly that his knuckles began turning white. He whispered, "I believe in you, Mako my love".

The camera zoomed in on the famous actor as he took a first tentative spoonful of Makoto's attempt at minestrone soup, quickly followed by another as the man's eyes widened in surprise.

"This... this is... _simply_ _outstanding!"_ he spoke in awe. "The best I've ever had!"

"Nani?" the lady singer seated beside him said, unable to believe what her companion was saying. "Let me try mine."

She tasted her course and looked at Makoto in stunned shock. "I must say, if I hadn't watched you prepare this here with my own eyes, I would have assumed it came from the kitchen of an exclusive Italian restaurant, Kino-chan. I'm... I'm nearly at a loss for words!"

The final judge, a producer of famous travel documentaries, spoke into the camera before sampling his serving. "In my line of work, I've spent quite a lot of time travelling throughout Italy and dining at some of that country's finest restaurants. Please forgive me if I appear somewhat more critical than my fellow judges. I'm just finding it hard to believe that a simple high school student with no special culinary training has managed to create something that impressive."

But after trying Makoto's first creation, he chuckled, "Minna, it seems I'll be eating my words along with this delicious soup tonight. The flavour of this dish is utterly incredible!" He stared dumbfounded at the plate and shook his head before adding in Italian, " _Eccezionale!_ "

The first judge asked the brunette, "Kino-chan, how did you learn to prepare meals of such high quality as this?"

In the shrine, Rei laughed "Because she had lots of practice trying to keep our odango-atama and her bottomless pit of a stomach well fed!"

On stage, Makoto smiled at the praise being lavished upon her and bowed again. "Gomen. If I'd only had a little more time, I'm sure it would've turned out better" she modestly apologized.

"Simply incredible!" the judge repeated. "I'm certainly giving this top marks!"

The girls of the first team watched in growing disbelief as their assumed easy victory began to slowly crumble before their eyes.

. . . . .

A few minutes and two courses later...

The announcer spoke excitedly into his microphone above raucous applause from the audience, "And there you have it, minna! The final scores have been tallied, and although the team from Le Cordon Bleu came in with a _very_ impressive twenty-seven points out of a possible thirty, the second team from Juuban High lead by Kino Makoto has pulled out a stunning upset victory tonight, with a score of twenty-nine!" He tucked his microphone under one arm and clapped along with the audience. "Well done, Kino-chan!"

With Makoto standing between her blonde friends, the overjoyed sixteen-year-old girls grasped hands and bowed deeply. Yet another round of applause followed when three teenage boys, lead by a normally very shy Ito Yuji, sprinted onstage and hugged their victorious fiancees.

"I never doubted you for a minute, Mako my love!" Yuji beamed proudly at her as he held his girl in his arms. "Congratulations darling!"

At the Hikawa shrine, the cheers were nearly as loud and joyous. "She did it!" Rei exclaimed happily. "Our Mako-chan finally got the recognition she truly deserves!"

"Hai!" Ami replied. "From now on, we should all feel even more honored when she prepares our weekend... oh... _oh_ _dear!_ " the blue-haired girl giggled.

Rei glanced back at the television and groaned in disgust. "Baka Minako has absolutely no shame! None at all! Just _look_ at that girl, making out with her Taro in public like that! And on live tv too!"

"That's one heck of a kiss!" Yuuichirou laughed. "Maybe she's hoping to land a part in one of those romantic movies, Rei darling. You know, the kind with the steamy love scenes you like to-"

"Stop watching them this instant, Yuuichirou-chan!" Rei hissed, just as the camera hastily panned away from the amorous couple.

"Gomen" the apprentice chuckled. "But you _did_ say to look at her."

"Forget what I just said" the raven-haired girl grumbled.

" _Rei_ - _chan!_ " Ami giggled. "I wasn't aware you enjoyed watching _that_ type of movie!"

The blushing miko glared evilly at her fiancee. "Yuuichirou-chan, sometimes you talk too much."

. . . . .

As the broadcast concluded, cameras were powered off and audience lights raised, Makoto accepted a gracious compliment from the defeated team's chef, then hugged her two assistants. "I couldn't have done it without your help" she smiled at the pair of happy blondes. "Arigatou."

"I'm glad we helped you, Mako-chan" Usagi grinned back. "And I'm really sorry about that stupid food processor I blew up."

"Don't mention it, Mako-chan" Minako added, smiling happily. "On second thought" she giggled, "mention it a lot!" The blonde enthused, "A world traveller, a super-excellent driving instructor, and now I'm a tv personality and successful chef's assistant too!" She grinned at her fiancee, "I'm a complete package, honey muffin!"

"I'll say you are!" her boy answered. "And a stunningly beautiful goddess as well, Minako my love!"

"Hai! I forgot about that part! _Hehe!_ Kiss me again, Taro sugar!"

"Good grief!" Makoto groaned. "You two really are something else." From the corner of her eye she noticed an older well-tailored gentleman leave his seat in the front row and begin heading on stage towards the couples as the other audience members began filing out of the building. "Who's this guy?" she wondered aloud.

Minako broke off her kiss, whirled around and gasped, " _Minna!_ He must be an important talent agent! My big break into fame and stardom is finally going to happen, Taro-love!"

But the hopeful girl's bright smile soon turned to a sour pout as the man ignored the blonde, walking straight past her and Usagi and up to Makoto.

He bowed to the brunette. "Pardon me for interrupting your well-deserved celebration, miss. I'd like to congratulate you in person on your victory tonight. That was an amazing performance."

"Uh... arigatou" the puzzled brunette replied.

"I'm sorry, I should properly introduce myself" the man spoke again. "My name is Koizumi Yuta. I'm the dean of the TSUJI Culinary Institute in Osaka."

"I'm very honoured to meet you" Makoto answered with a deep bow.

"We're in the planning stages of opening a new campus right here in Tokyo" he told the girl. "It should be in operation within the next two years. I'd like to invite you to join us there as a freshman student, after you complete your high school education, of course."

The brunette was stunned. "I'm very flattered, Koizumi-san! Really I am!" She hesitated, "But... aren't the fees to attend a prestigious school like that kind of steep?" Makoto added with a blush of embarassment, "I live alone and I honestly can't afford to-"

"Think nothing of it, Kino-san. I've been observing your work this evening with great interest. Defeating the team from our rival Le Cordon Bleu was no easy feat, and the way you carried yourself under pressure tonight was most inspiring indeed." He smiled warmly, "I'm sure my institute would be more than happy to provide you with a scholarship to cover the tuition costs when the time comes."

Makoto stood wide-eyed and speechless as he handed her his business card. "Please think carefully about my offer, and if you do decide you'd like to join us at TSUJI, feel free to call me at this number and we'll discuss it further."

"Uh... hai... I will, Koizumi-san. Arigatou!"

Yuji smiled shyly at the love of his life. "I'm so proud of you, Mako-chan."

. . . . .


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

After the man from TSUJI had bid the teens goodbye and left the stage, Makoto stared down at the gold-embossed card she clutched in her hand. "I don't believe this is happening, Yuji honey. Not to me!"

"It really is, Mako my love" the boy answered before kissing her cheek.

"You've certainly earned it" Mamoru spoke to the girl. "Appearing on this cooking show was the big break you needed to have your incredible culinary skills recognized, and I might add, the break you _truly_ deserve. Well done, Mako-chan!"

"Hai, Mako-chan" Usagi grinned. "Especially after making me and our friends all those yummy dinners and snacks over the last two years. Just think of all that time and energy you spent as an investment in your future, and now it's finally paying off!"

"I need to thank Michiru for suggesting the idea to me" the brunette said. She looked across the stage toward the v.i.p. seating area only to find to her disappointment that the entire front row was deserted. "Oh... she must've left with Haruka already."

The mention of that particular name brought another frown to cloud Minako's pretty face. "Did Hussy Haruka make a pass at you or do anything else she shouldn't have during the contest, sugar dumpling? I was too busy to watch you as closely as I wanted to."

"Not even once, my sweet" Taro reassured his girl. "To be honest, she hardly spoke to me much at all."

"Good!" Minako breathed in relief.

"She probably wouldn't want to do anything that would disrupt my Mako-chan's chance at winning tonight's contest" Yuji mused.

" _Nani?_ Are you implying she _would_ _have_ if there wasn't any contest or I wasn't here to protect him, Yuji-chan?" the blonde gasped. " _That_ _wicked_ _woman!_ " She fumed, "Just wait until I get a chance to drive her Ferrari again! I'm going to whip that hussy's car until it begs for mercy, and _then_ I'll-"

Makoto turned away from the angry blonde, shook her head and sighed "Here we go again, Yuji darling."

. . . . .

With the program off the air, Rei switched off her television set and collected her purse. "Ami-chan, the other couples won't make it back here for at least half an hour. It's a beautiful evening, how about we take a stroll down to the park together?"

"Hai, I'd love to, Rei-chan" the blue-haired teen agreed with a smile. She softly giggled, "And while we're there, you can tell me more about those... um... romantic movies you like to watch."

"Yuuichirou-chan!" the miko blushed red. "See what you and your big mouth just did? Don't you know that some things in life are supposed to stay private?"

"Gomen nasai, darling!" the apprentice grinned. "I'll definitely remember to hold my tongue better next time."

"There won't _be_ any next time!" Rei insisted. " _Or_ _else!_ "

"Hai" her fiancee solemnly promised.

"You and Ryo can put the tv away and tidy things up in here while we're gone" Rei continued. "Oh, and remember to put up that paper banner I made yesterday. Hang it above the study table." She told the other couple, "It's just a little congratulatory sign I taped together in case Mako-chan won tonight."

"That was very sweet of you, Rei-chan" Ami said. She smiled sweetly at her young man. "I'd like my fiancee to come to the park with us, if Yuuichirou doesn't mind taking care of things here by himself."

"You two... you simply can't handle being apart for more than a single minute, can you?" the raven-haired girl laughed.

"Well, I... we..." Ami finally nodded with a shy smile.

"No problem, Ami-chan. My guy can take care of things. Anyway, it's about time he did some work around here."

Yuuichirou pouted, "But darling, I've been working really hard all day!"

"You'll manage, lover boy." After giving her young man a playful but stern glare and a quick kiss, Rei gestured toward the exit. "Let's go stretch our legs, love birds."

After the three teens had left the shrine, Yuuichirou unplugged the television and began coiling up its cord, looking up when he heard the room door slide open. "Hino-sensei! I thought you'd be fast asleep by now."

The elderly priest quietly stepped into the room and over to his young apprentice. " _Well_ , Yuuichirou-chan? Did Makoto win the cooking contest?"

"Hai, she did!" Yuuichirou nodded. "The competition was intense, but Mako-chan really knocked it out of the park tonight!"

"Hmm... that would be a baseball reference, I assume?"

"That's right, Hino-sensei." Yuuichirou lifted the small tv set from the study table. "Might I ask, did they have baseball way back when you were a teenager?"

"I'm not _that_ old, boy!" the old man grumbled. "As a matter of fact, they did have baseball. Along with indoor plumbing, electricity and Shinto apprentices who were _considerably_ _more_ _respectful_ toward their sensei!"

"Gomen, Hino-sensei!" Yuuichirou grinned. "I may not be perfect, but I'm always trying to improve."

"Try harder." Rei's grandfather regarded the teen in silence for a moment, then smiled. "Please congratulate our young chef for me when she returns to the shrine. It's getting somewhat late and I'm going to bed soon."

"I will" the boy nodded. "Have a pleasant night, Sensei."

The old man turned away, muttering "Certainly not nearly as pleasant a night as you and Rei will undoubtedly have."

. . . . .

With Mamoru having left his beloved Usako and her friends to catch up on an important assignment at his university, Usagi and the two remaining couples took the next bus back to the Hikawa Jinja.

"Minna, does anyone have the time?" Minako asked as the group strolled onto the shrine grounds through its rear entrance.

"It's nearly nine-thirty, Minako-chan" Yuji told her.

"Oh... that late already..." she sighed wistfully. "I suppose we'll be driving you and my Taro back to Nerima soon." Her previous bright and bubbly mood quickly turned glum. "I _hate_ _it_ every time we have to part like this, sugar cuddles! I want to be with you forever!" Minako gazed upward beyond Tokyo's bright lights into the heavens above. "Is that too much for a lovesick girl to ask?"

"I'm going to miss you too, Yuji my love" Makoto softly spoke to her love. She gently squeezed her fiancee's hand as they neared the shrine. "So very, _very_ much." She sighed, "Another long, boring week of school to struggle through..."

The brown-haired boy gave his older brother a wink. "Should we tell them now, Taro-chan?"

Minako abruptly stopped walking. "Tell us what?"

"Umm... only that Yuji and I don't have any classes tomorrow, my beautiful princess" Taro answered his girl. "Most of the sensei at our school have this Monday off for something called a 'personal improvement' day."

The blonde's eyes met the brunette's and both girls' faces broke into wide smiles of utter joy. "This day just keeps on getting better and better!" Minkao squealed with delight. "Another whole night of romance and love-love with my handsome man! And my parents are out of town visiting relatives until Tuesday, so we have my house all to ourselves!" She leapt into her young man's arms. " _Yes! Everything's absolutely perfect, snuggle muffin!"_

"Minako-chan! Stop drooling on your fiancee!" Usagi giggled.

"I know you and Minako still have your regular classes tomorrow, Mako-chan" Yuji spoke to his happy bride-to-be. "But at least we can share a little more time together before you leave for school in the morning and Taro and I catch the train back to Nerima."

"Hai. We certainly can, Yuji darling." Makoto replied. "And even though this day has turned out fantastic so far, I know a way we can make tonight even better."

"How could you possibly top winning that contest _and_ earning a scholarship to a famous cooking school all in the same hour, my sweet?" he grinned.

The brunette slipped her arms around her fiancee and softly kissed him, her green eyes aglow with joy and her heart filled with longing and desire for the young man who had stood faithfully by her, the boy who had given her his unwavering love and support when she needed it most.

Makoto coyly whispered, "I think you already know what I have in mind, my Yuji."

. . . . .

" _Congratulations_ , _Mako_ - _chan!_ "

The two couples waiting in the study room cheered their conquering friend as she walked in, causing Makoto to blush from the unexpected attention.

The girl noticed the colorful banner Rei had made and chuckled as she read it aloud. "Iron Chef Mako-chan? That's kind of a stretch, don't you think?"

"It certainly isn't" Yuji proudly insisted. "Mako darling, tell everyone about what happened after the tv show finished."

"Did we miss the big fire?" Rei chortled. "Or did Usagi and Minako manage to wreck something else after the cameras were off?"

"Hey, no fair!" the odango-haired girl grumbled. "I only broke one thing tonight! That stupid noisy machine!"

"And that's supposed to be an improvement?" the miko snickered. "Then again, knowing you two, it probably would be."

"Hush up, Rei-chan!" Usagi sulked.

Makoto tried to ignore her friends' bickering. "Minna, after the show ended I met a man from-"

"From a famous cooking school!" Minako interrupted her. "And he offered Mako-chan a free scholarship when she graduates from Juuban!"

"That's wonderful news!" Ami exclaimed. She and her Ryo closely examined the business card the brunette held out. "TSUJI is a very renowned academy, Mako-chan! I'm so proud of you!" She hugged the tall brunette.

"We all are" Rei added, also giving her friend a warm hug.

"Minna, a special occasion like this calls for a proper celebration" Yuuichirou announced. "And although we can't drink in the shrine, here's a little something you can enjoy at home, Mako-chan" He opened a nearby cupboard door and produced a bottle of champagne, handing it to Makoto. "With love, from all of us to you."

"Arigatou, Yuuichirou-chan!" Makoto thanked him. "Yuji and I will open it tonight."

"Where did _that_ come from?" Rei puzzled.

"I took the liberty of procuring the bubbly because I knew without any doubt that Mako-chan was going to win, Rei darling."

"Oh? Are you a fortune teller now, lover?" the miko laughed.

"Hai, that's me! Yuuichirou the Psychic, at your service!" he bowed. "That is, when I'm not a doctor, or a philosopher, or... uh... what was that other one?"

"You forgot detective and rocket scientist" Rei chuckled.

"Oh yeah! Those things too!" Yuuichirou grinned.

. . . . . . . . . .


End file.
